Undergraduate Module Descriptor

PHL3113: Practical Ethics

This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.

Module Aims

This module aims to engage you in some very important contemporary debates in applied ethics. By the end of the module, you should be able to:

1) Understand the motivations and methods of practical ethics;

2) Assess arguments for different social and moral positions; and

3) Discuss in a philosophically sophisticated manner some of the most pressing contemporary moral controversies.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Identify and cogently discuss the issues raised in some key contemporary debates in applied ethics. 2. Critically distinguish and evaluate certain positions and arguments within some key contemporary debates in applied ethics. 3. Demonstrate a deep understanding of the methods of applied ethics.
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. Demonstrate a high level of understanding of the relationship between the practical and theoretical aspects of philosophy. 5. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of different types of philosophical analysis.
Personal and Key Skills	6. Demonstrate a significantly expanded philosophical vocabulary and understanding with respect to key ideas in practical ethics. 7. Engage in complex and high level argumentation both orally and through writing. 8. Conduct research independently engaging in complex ideas and problems while developing original research insights.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics in practical ethics:

Veganism and the environment.
Capital punishment.
Citizenship, suffrage and the right to vote.
Twitter, conspiracy and free speech.
Incels and vocels - the ethics of celibacy.
Neuroethics, tech billionaires, and brain interfaces.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	22	Weekly 2-hour lectures/seminars or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar
Guided Independent Study	45	Preparation for lectures and tutorial participation including reading, and preparing reading reports and answers to tutorial questions.
Guided Independent Study	83	Independent research for the first and final essays.

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

Hugh LaFollette (ed.) (2014), Ethics in Practice: An Anthology, 4^th edition, John Wiley & Sons.